What I’m Carrying Now: A Smith & Wesson Model 640 That My Wife Didn’t Know About

1. Lol. There was a sign at my LGS reading “your wife called she said it was okay”.

2. $15 extra for a receipt showing the amount that you told your wife you paid

   • My shop does that for free.

     They just ask how much you want it made out for… 🙂

     • Geoff, you are my kind of shop to do business with. Where are you located at?

       • They might not appreciate that particular kind of publicity (if you know what I mean).

         Sorry… 🙁

       • Just pay cash for half of the purchase then charge the rest (use a card from a bank that is anti-gun).When the wife sees the bills it becomes much easier to create a cover story.

3. Sportsman’s Prayer (one version):

   Lord if I should die before my wife,
   Please don’t let her sell my guns for what I told her I paid for ’em…

   Nice EDC revolver!

   I’ve never found a good belt case to carry moon clips in…any suggestions? I’ll carry a speed loader loose in a pocket, but, not moon clips, it’s too easy to dislodge a round or tweak the clip with it rattling around loose in a pocket.

   • I use several large sunglass cases I picked up at Costco (for free. Ask the nice people at the optical dept. if they aren’t busy.)
     or a fanny pack to wear with my sandals and socks.

     bonus: With my belt-worn cellphone NO ONE gives me a 2nd glance.

     • Doh! (forehead slap)

       Just grabbed an old nylon reinforced belt case that I use for sunglasses (purchased in the WallyWorld sporting goods dept 10 – 15 years ago)…yup, problem solved. Not really fast access, but, fast enough (hopefully). Need to find one that has a magnetic or Velcro ® closure or, even, an old-school snap.

       Four HKS #36 speed loaders or four moon clips fit nicely. A little judicious use of high density foam and glue and it looks like the loaders / clips will stay up right, snugly nestled and no rattles (I wonder if my spouse will let me purchase a 3D printer to try this out?)

       Thank you for a great suggestion!

       • Glad to share.

         bonus: no one looks twice.

         I used to carry my cellphone or a Ruger LCP in an old, flap-top calculator belt case. No one at work (a non-carry place) gave me a 2nd glance, even the “nice” HR people.

       • I forgot to mention that I have removable inserts (double-sided velcro tape) and multiple “cases”. When carrying the 642 I use speedloaders. With the LCP I carry two, stacked mags.

         Hide in plain sight.

         • Great ideas!

           Not a fan of the LCP. I have one of the originals and it is not fun to shoot. It is a permanent safe queen…only shot every couple of years to remind me of why I don’t carry it. The kids can draw straws for it after I’m gone…short straw has to take it….now, the LCR is another story entirely.

           • The LCP is normally my wife’s gun, but I’ll sometimes carry it.

             I’ve also got an LCR in 9mm. The moonclips work perfectly.

             Most of this is for “warmer” weather carry or for “down-low” in places where guns are not welcome. OR has no penalties for concealed-carry in 2A-unfriendly businesses. They can only ask you to leave.

             I’ve been considering moving to MT, if I can convince the wife and am exploring different areas/cities. Any recommendations?

             • Recommendations…whew, that’s a really open ended question.

               Are you still working? What work skills do you possess? Retired? What outdoor or social activities are important to you? Do you like urban or rural areas? Do you prefer mountains or plains? Do you qualify for VA benefits? How important is it to be within xx miles of a Costco, etc? Any long-term medical issues or needs? How do you tolerate cold, heat, wind.

               We get very few tornadoes Statewide, no hurricanes, the occasional blizzard and, like Oregon, too damn many forest fires (with the attendant smoky skies) in dry summers.

               We have lots of lakes and rivers. Hunting and fishing are good. No sales tax…but, we have a State income tax and lots of property taxes (about 50% of my property tax bill goes to “education” whether the State colleges / universities or the local K-12). Depending on where you choose to live your electric rates can be reasonable or ridiculous.

               Our housing is booming all across the State. Many people relocating from Oregon, California, Washington…from just about anywhere in the USA. I probably could not afford the home / property I’m in now if I was moving here today rather than the 20-plus years ago when I bought.

               If you give me a bit more to work with I can give you my opinion on areas (for what it’s worth…)

4. Damn fine EDC. I like the Pachmayer Professionals on my S&W round butt revolvers. Just me. Love me some Kramer. Own several pieces of it. Author is exactly correct. Kramer is made of horsehide. Thinner and stiffer than cowhide. Perfect for IWB. More expensive than kydex, but points for style. Surefire. Thumbs up. Benchmade. My other thumb is up. To the “who needs a light crowd” the author said he uses his second only to his wallet. If you carried a light you’d use it a lot too. Reloads. Running out of thumbs. Leatherman. Own two or three. It part of EDC figure out how to carry it and the Benchmade.

   • Solid EDC.
     The light on my phone gets used quite a bit too. Haven’t needed a dedicated second light yet.

     • Anti, next time you go to the range try using your cell PX light in conjunction with your handgun. Especially momentary. See how that works out for you. I use my PX light too. Only when it doesn’t matter. Saves batteries on my real lights.

       • You make a good point. Shooting at a range at night would be significantly improved with a better light than that of my cell phone. I’ve never shot in the dark. Maybe I should try it.
         The only night shooting I’ve envisioned for myself is a home defense scenario because I’m typically out and about during daylight hours.
         I’ve hesitated to put lights on my home defense guns so my position is not easily given away. I leave a strategically positioned interior house light on at night that hides my death funnel perch and exposes the pathway a perp would have to take to get to me and mine.
         What am I missing? I actually would like to buy a light, but just can’t think of what I would use it for that my phone light doesn’t already cover.

   • “If you carried a light you’d use it a lot too.”

     Is this sort of like, if you buy cookies, you end up eating cookies? ;‐)

     • Now I’m in the mood for warm soft cookies.

       • With a tall glass of ice cold milk!

       • BFF for a pecan Sandie.

     • It certainly is an argument against carrying (just) a weapon mounted light!

   • Aw ! my pants are falling off with the weight LOL.

5. If you don’t trust your wife enough to know you bought a gun, then you have a weak marriage. Just saying.

   • Either he married the wrong woman or she married the wrong man. We’re not seeing both sides of the story here.

     • That’s why I’m not calling out either specifically, just that it’s a weak marriage.

       • Or maybe it’s one built on trust, where they don’t require that everything needs to be discussed. My wife can absolutely have access to all the guns I (we? har har) have, but she’s not interested, and therefore doesn’t know about most of the guns. Or ammo. Or accessories. If she ever chooses to ask, I’ll be more than happy to regale her with the stories of my purchases and/or builds. Otherwise, she cares about (and therefore only is aware of) perhaps half a dozen of them, and even then it’s rare that she ever mentions anything. The rest come out to play when I go to the desert with the guys.

       • He made it sound as if he was caught red handed. My wife is not a gun person. But I keep her in the loop when I buy one. I’m not a shoe person but she keeps me in the loop when she buys another pair of Birkies.

         I think she has 30 now.

       • *Insert marriage is a construct comment here.

         I was married once. Then I got smart.

   • My wife does not like guns. Period. My wife knows about all of my black powder arms (five revolvers and a kit 50 cal rifle I made). She doesn’t mind them because they are “antiques” and therefore somehow harmless. Same for my two 1873s (and admired my handiwork in making “ivory” grips for the .45). She knows about the pocket 9 because I charged the payment to the wrong card. She tells me I have “enough” guns. So I haven’t told her about the ARs I built, the ’82 Winchester, or a number of semiauto pistols I’ve bought over the years, the ones I’ve given to or bought for my kids, or the .22 rifle that started me on this road 18 years ago. I don’t see any reason to upset her. She is disabled, and when she is feeling paranoid, she is glad that there are guns and dogs in the house.

     Today is my 33rd anniversary. So yeah, I must have a “weak” marriage.

     • Congrats! My wife and I have also been together 33 yrs. 🙂

       • 31 years on the second marriage. First wife is deceased. No one is promised tommorow.

         My wife carries.

         My wife grew up in northwest Pennsylvania her dad had a long gun behind every door.

       • Tomorrow is my 19th anniversary. I bought her a new Glock 43X. When I brought my first handgun home 15years ago she said I can keep it in my car, not the house. Now if I get myself a gun I better have one for her also! We both carry and she’s a better shot then me! We love to go to the range together. It all depends on the wife, how much you share. I thought for sure she was going to make me get rid of my first gun but now she’s pro 2A.

     • My wife (Dem voter, but still my best friend) doesn’t know how many guns I have, does not want to know, and does not like them. She trusts me to not spend friviously since we both had frugal up bringings. She does support gun safety, training, and insurance, and so I have a gun safe, take classes, and have CCW Safe. Not the perfect marriage, but we do alright.

     • Hitting 50 years this Saturday, a few weeks ago wife asked “how many guns do you have?” She’s standing in front of the open Fort Knox bolted to the file cabinet in the office,mind you. Got out of that with some fast talking LOL.

       • Congrats on the big milestone!

         So she said how many guns do “you” have, not “we”? 😉

   • Silphy, my ex and I had our own slush funds. Mine was my off duty security money. Mostly spent on firearms/hunting/fishing. Hers was the checking account. Spent mostly in casinos. 20+ years were enough.

6. A question for the author, is the revolver moon clips only or can you also load loose rounds?

   • You can load both safely.

7. She’s used to seeing nothing there. Gun is so small that it won’t change your imprint any.

8. I’m happy that I don’t need permission from anyone to spend my own money the way I choose. And I don’t have to lie to anyone either.

   • Yup. Me too.
     I bought another shotgun today. Man, those used and consignment guns just keep on coming in to my lgs.

     • It’s hard times and a need for cash, especially in OR where Gov. Kate misrules. At least a portion of the economy keeps going.

       I’ve also seen a lot of pre-owned guns in my neck of the woods (the Metro area), but I’m waiting for the wave of “buyer’s remorse” guns to arrive in a few months. Panic buying has its drawbacks but also benefits.

   • Same. Especially the worst wife of them all – The government. I stopped asking permission from that bitch a couple years ago.

9. Nice. I wonder if that mod can be done to the LCR in .357?

   Yup, not cheap, but do-able :

   https://tkcustom.com/services/machining-sw

10. Your response should have been it was part of the TOT (this old thing) collection. My wife has a closet full of clothes that were described this way.

    • Lol, I like that.

11. That Titan Plus is a nice light. My EDC as well. Pretty much disappears on the pocket clip. Smaller than a Mini Griptillian and bright enough for nearly every job.

    • I have always liked that light. IMHO, not worth the current price though, and the lack of a button option like it’s predecessors are what always kept me from getting one. As far as modern torch standards go, it’s outdated. Would be nice to see them make a new version of it. Deep carry style clip (in black), better LED, and a button. Then maybe I’d spend the surefire price. Surefire is just a government contract whore though. Only time I ever had their stuff was when it was given to me. Every surefire light I have had has failed before it’s cheaper predecessors. Interesting read, as many share the same opinions on them:

      https://www.reddit.com/r/flashlight/comments/7g08hi/are_surefire_products_overpriced_for_what_they_are/

      Just outdated contract whores. If streamlight was given the government funding, surefire would go out of business. Actually, I have not seen anyone invest in a surefire WML in years now that I really think of it.

      • Not everything has to be tactical.

12. Nice. Although not a fan of bulky pachmayr grips on a svelte revolver.

    I’d just go to KFrame ….but that’s just me.

    My light is my most used EDC most days. Case Stockman is 2nd.

    I thank the Lord for a wonderful wife that appreciates guns. Or at least appreciates me enough to not be upset by my sickness. She has her own Glock 43, Ruger 22 auto, and S&W revolver.

    • Specialist, yesterday you said you had four pair of Spigel Boot Grips? Would you consider selling a pair? If I remember your from Florida. Within a tank of gas of Tallahassee you name the 20.

      • Sorry Gadsden. I have 4 j frames and had one pair of Spegels.

        Sold the Boot Grips to DeadEye Luke at the PC gun show several years ago.

        I picked up a pair of OEM rosewood grips for my 042 and added a TGrip.

        Overall a little smaller for pocket carry.

        If i pick a set up in trade, I’ll let you know.

        I wonder when gun shows will make a comeback after quarantine.

    • I agree about those grips. Pachs are great, on a medium or larger frame. I myself would not by a j frame size in the .357 round. Hurts just thinking about it.

13. Honesty is the best policy and so is your own personal cash fund.

    • +1. Both of these have been great for my marriage.

14. I don’t ask how many pairs of shoes she has and she doesn’t ask what’s in the safe.
    Worked out for a few decades so far.

15. Excellent carry.

    I think you would be better served with 38 special 150 grain full wadcutters from Buffalo Bore.

    Benchmade, Surefire and Kramer can’t go worng.

16. When I buy a pistol. All my wife asks is can she shoot it the next time we visit the range

17. Purty little gun; love the classic bright stainless finish. I can’t stand how every stainless snubbie these days seems to have that butt-ass ugly matte/bead-bleasted finish. Makes them look too much like a plastic toy.

18. I think it is awesome that we live in a country where we can carry concealed. I also think it is awesome that some of us like myself live in a free state that does not infringe on our 2A rights.

    My real comment I suppose, is do I really need to post pictures of my gear for the whole world and the NSA to see, or am I just satisfying an urge to tel the world “Hey look at me and my stuff”.

    Just my $.02…..don’t let this start a flame war please.

    • I’ll agree, within certain caveats. There are ways to post w/o the attentions of No Such & the Alphabet Kingdom following your posts across the web. No flames, just forthright information.

      +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

      1) Take your photo, making sure to either redact the SN’s with an image program, or simply not taking a pic of that side of the firearm.

      2) Use any number of image programs to strip the EXIF data out of the image. EXIF contains details about the camera that actually took the photo, it can be linked to other images you’ve posted with that camera, and used to track you across the web. Especially if you’ve uploaded those cam’s images to social media/web hosts/file storage lockers. If particularly paranoid, just open the image in a computer (not phone/phablet/tablet unless rooted with a secure os), and take a screen shot of the picture itself and save it. Use a privacy cleaner after if paranoid. If super paranoid…

      Hint: It’s not paranoia if they really are out to get you. And they are, just read the P4triot Act, the H()meland Secur!ty Act, and a litany of others since, including many of the Nation4l Def3nse Authorizat!on Act’s. No need for tin foil hat tomfoolery, that’s writ by their own hands.

      3) Get a secure, non-logging VPN in a non-eye’s country, that allows for T0R traffic. You should be on a VPN these days, regardless. Do your due diligence before finalizing the decision on which, you can’t trust quite a few of them. Especially avoid those based in “eye’s” countries, they all have an extremely high degree of probability of being compromised (en-NSL letters here in the US).

      I’m partial to ones housed in physically hardened facilities, with security details on premises…

      4) Get T0R, although they (No Such) do track everyone who goes to the site, using a secure VPN with an exit node in another countries jurisdiction (again, a non-eye’s country, preferably from one diametrically opposed to your own guv’s). The latter is so you don’t end up on a list. Download T4ILS (that’s with an A) while your at it, burn it & run it from a single write optical disk. No re-writable’s, no flash, no hdd’s, period. Download updates for them via T0R/T4ILS only.

      If particularly uncomfortable with any trace of the photo being on your system, use T4ILS instead of your normal OS, and destroy the flash memory afterwards. There’s no way to ensure classical data destruction on a flash memory device, outside of physically mauling the device to an inoperable state, or multi-layered elliptic-curve, or one-time pad (OTP) encryption of the entire device, or both.

      Then overwrite with Gutman, and continue using normally afterwards. Gutman is a 32 pass (it’s pseudo, classic computing can’t do true) random overwrite, so you’re going to lose the commensurate amount of write cycles on your NAND, just be aware. That’s as close to perfect without torching the device as you can get. Can’t see the forest for the trees, is the applicable mantra.

      Or, alternate to T4ILS, any number of pen testing linux distro’s can be used as well in lieu of T4ILS. You should be very careful if you choose that route. T0R Foundation itself is trustworthy. The rest, some to a high degree, others not so much.

      5) Upload through said VPN via T0R to a image server in, you guessed it, a non-eye’s country.

      6) Copy/pasta link to wherever. Prolly could post it on a (d0t)guv site with near impunity.

      7) Done. There’s always a non-infinite probability that despite that, you may still be exposed, but the chances are nearing astronomical, and given to ratios best expressed in scientific, or exponential notation.

      There are more secure ways through T()R, but that’s not a viable thing for many, as not everyone can afford to host a dedicated relay for the network, and the technical expertise to do that method is quite beyond many. That one is the way a kingpin targeted by the biggest onion dragnet ever up until that time, was able to avoid being id’d &/or captured by the Alphabets. He, and I assume it’s a he by the writing, gave a dissertation of the subject after plopping ass comfortably in a non-extradition treaty country. It’s a good read if you’re extraordinarily concerned about personal sec, if you can find it. I don’t know that it’s still on the web…

19. I don’t tell my wife because she doesn’t care. I’ve been through enough guns that she claims I rent them, not own them. The only money comment she’s made after 40+ years was last year when she said “Would you at least warn me before you buy the next car or truck?”

20. My gal never asks me about my gun purchases.

    Then again, I get all my dates at the bus station.

21. Somewhere in the backwoods of Tennessee, James Yeager arrogantly smirks.

    THAT AIN’T TACTICAL!!!!!

    HERP UH DERP DERP!!!!

22. My bride of 38 years, has always been totally indifferent about guns. When we were dating, I went to the range every Sunday morning. It was never even a subject for discussion. I tried many times to get her to come shooting with me, but she never agreed to do it. In 1983 I bought a .22 revolver (Colt Diamondback) in the hope I could get her to just try it. No dice. Still have the gun. It’s a sweetie.
    She has no idea how many guns I have and she doesn’t care. Her only concern was, when our children were small, that no guns were in accessible places. If she was a gun hater, we never would have gotten past the dating stage.

23. As a late comer to the POTG, I’ve been very blessed that my wife of 43 years accepts
    my EGS. She doesn’t share my fascination with things that go bang so I have to insist that she comes to the range with me once every six months. At the same time she is also glad that we have the guns in the house.

24. I am also pushing 40 years with the wife. She shoots once a year just to know she can still handle a gun. We have an unspoken agreement, I don’t tell her how much I spend on guns, ammo and diving. She does not tell me how much she spends on books, shoes or clothing. Other than that, we talk about everything. It works for us, we give each other space and respect, the rest takes care of itself. In a perfect world we would share each others passions, we don’t, we know it and make it work anyway.

25. You would be better served with a Taurus snub revolver.

26. I tell my wife that I paid MORE than I paid for my guns. I have a Gun Trust that requires a valued inventory that I keep updated.

    I damn sure don’t want to have to worry that she might sell them for stupid low prices after I am gone.

    Congrats to you folks who are married to someone who doesn’t like guns and you are still together! With my pitiful track record on relationships prior to this one all I can do is marvel at your people skills.

27. This is why I come here.

28. Next month will make it a half century for my beloved and me — hard to believe. Lucky for me, she’s great about guns (and knives) and has two of her own — a Sig 1911 .45 RCS, and a S&W Shield. We also both belong to a local gun club and shoot together, although I more than her.

29. Good Gun, Speedloaders, Flashlight and Knife. That’s all the boxes checked on my list. As for my wife, she doesn’t want to know how much I’ve spent on her or my guns. Her EDC is almost the same, except it’s a LadySmith Model 60 with Crimson Trace grips. We found the Lyman Speedloaders required less jiggling than the H K’s.

30. My solution to this… buy two distinctly looking guns. E.g. one 1911 and one polymer gun (your choice XD, Sig, Glock, w/e). Buy all subsequent guns to look similar to said two original guns. Then, “Naw, honey this is my 1911 (Needless to say I really have 4 1911 style guns)…You know, this is the gun I ‘won” in the gun raffle….”….Problem solved…If argument ensues, ask her about her shoe collection. If you are still losing the battle buy her some shoes….then you may win the lottery and worst case you might even get a BJ out of the experience as you bought her some new fancy shoes….and you still have your guns…

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